What fits in a 12x12 storage room? A real Bahria Town, Lahore job

How much of a house really fits in a 12x12 storage room? More than most people guess, if it is packed and stacked with a plan. This guide follows one real job: a household in Bahria Town, Lahore, packed up and stored in a 12 x 12 room. We look at what the space holds, how it was packed, where each thing should go, and what that floor area costs a month.

The photos below were taken at the house on packing day. They show the work before anything was loaded: cartons taped in yellow, an appliance boxed in card and strapped, and a lounge full of stretch-wrapped furniture. That part decides how well everything fits later.

The job: one household, one 12 x 12 room

The brief was simple. Pack the household in Bahria Town, Lahore, and store it in a room 12 feet by 12 feet. No second room, no overflow, so the packing had to make every square foot count.

A job like this is common. People renovate, wait for a new house, or leave the country for a year. In each case the question is the same: will my things fit, and how much will it cost? If you are planning around building work, our guide to storage during a house renovation covers the timing.

How big is a 12x12 storage room, really?

Twelve feet by twelve feet is 144 square feet of floor. That is the figure storage is priced on. But what decides whether a household fits is volume, because cartons and furniture stack.

In a unit we plan on stacking to about 7 feet. That keeps every box within reach without a ladder. So the room holds roughly 144 x 7, or about 1,000 cubic feet, before you leave any space to walk.

We also keep about a fifth of the floor free as a walkway. That leaves around 800 cubic feet of real packing space. It sounds abstract, so here is a simpler test. Thirty standard moving boxes take about the same space as one three-seater sofa. Our room-by-room size guide explains the same rules for every unit size.

What went into the room

The photos show a typical family load. There are kitchen cartons of a few standard sizes, all closed with yellow tape. There is an appliance boxed in card, wrapped in film and strapped. And in the lounge, the sofas and larger pieces are wrapped in cardboard and stretch film.

A household like this splits into three kinds of load, and each needs its own place in a 12x12 storage room:

• Tall items that can't take weight: the fridge, the washing machine and other appliances. They stand upright, and nothing goes on top of them.

• Bulky furniture: sofas, beds, wardrobes and the dining table. These take the floor, so they must be dismantled where possible.

• Cartons: kitchen, clothes, books and the store room. They fill every gap and stack high.

Before you list your own things, check our page on what you can store in a storage unit. Gas cylinders, fuel, paint and food can't go in at all.

Packing for storage, not just for the move

Packing for a drive across town and packing for months in a room are not the same job. Things sit still for a long time, often under other things. So the packing has to hold its shape.

• Same-size cartons. Boxes of one or two sizes stack in straight towers. Mixed sizes lean and waste space.

• Full boxes. A half-empty carton crushes when something is stacked on it. Fill gaps with towels or linen.

• Taped on every seam. The yellow tape in the photos runs across the top and down the sides, so the box keeps its shape under weight.

• Appliances upright and dry. Defrost the fridge a day early, dry it, and store it with the door slightly open.

• Furniture taken apart. A bed frame standing whole can take as much room as a wardrobe. Flat, it hardly counts.

Stretch film over card protects furniture on the road and keeps dust off. For a long stay, especially through the monsoon, it can trap moisture against fabric. The US EPA's guide to mould and moisture explains why damp is the real enemy. Our guides on how to pack furniture for storage and protecting furniture from humidity go piece by piece.

The stacking plan: what goes where in a 12x12 storage room

A good load goes into the room in a set order. Think of the space in five zones, from the back wall to the door.

1. Back wall: the largest, heaviest furniture. Wardrobe sections, bed frames, the dining table top and the sofas. Mattresses stand on their long side here, with nothing leaning on them.

2. Side walls: appliances, upright and in a row, with a little air around them. Tall towers of heavy cartons go next to them, heaviest at the bottom.

3. Middle and top: light cartons on top of the heavy ones, up to about 7 feet. Chairs go seat to seat in pairs.

4. Walkway: a narrow path down one side, so you can reach the back without unloading the front.

5. By the door: anything you might need during the stay. Documents, a box of winter clothes, a few kitchen basics.

Label every carton on two sides and the top with the room and a short list. "Kitchen, glasses, fragile" is far more useful than "misc". When the inventory is written item by item at the truck, as our how it works page describes, the labels and the list match.

What a 12x12 storage room costs a month

Our units are billed by floor area, at PKR 200 to 250 per square foot per month. The rate is published, and there is a one-month minimum.

So the sum for 144 square feet is straightforward:

• At PKR 200: 144 x 200 = PKR 28,800 a month.

• At PKR 250: 144 x 250 = PKR 36,000 a month.

On our rate card, the nearest standard size is the 10 x 15 unit. It has 150 square feet and costs PKR 30,000 to 37,500 a month. The other close option is a 20 ft container, with 149 square feet of usable floor at a flat PKR 30,000 a month. It is sealed, and nobody else's goods share it.

Where you land in the unit band depends on the floor the unit is on and how often you need access. Collection and delivery are quoted separately, because they depend on distance, floors and lift access. Every figure is on our prices page, and our guide to self storage costs in Pakistan explains the rest.

When 144 square feet is too much, or not enough

At 144 square feet, a 12x12 storage room is close to our 10 x 15 unit. Our size guide matches that size to a two to three bedroom house: thirty to forty cartons, a second bedroom set and the white goods. Your own house may differ.

• Storing a flat? A 10 x 10 (100 sq ft, PKR 20,000 to 25,000) usually holds a one or two bedroom flat, appliances included.

• A full family home? A 10 x 20 (200 sq ft, PKR 40,000 to 50,000) holds a three to four bedroom house.

• Past 200 square feet? A 40 ft container at PKR 50,000 a month works out at about PKR 164 per square foot.

If two sizes look close, take the smaller one and pack it well. A carefully loaded unit often holds what a carelessly loaded bigger one would. Our comparison of a storage container vs a storage unit helps if you're between the two.

Mistakes that waste space

Most of the floor lost in a 12x12 storage room goes on a few habits that are easy to fix.

• Leaving furniture assembled. Ten minutes with a screwdriver can save you a whole size.

• Using bags instead of boxes. Bags don't stack. Boxes of the same size do.

• Storing everything. Sell, give away or take what you won't need before you measure.

• Stacking on appliances. Fridges and washing machines can't carry weight, so plan the floor around them.

• Forgetting the outdoor things. Bicycles, garden chairs and the generator all take floor.

Questions about a 12x12 storage room

Can a whole house fit in a 12x12 storage room?

A two to three bedroom house usually can, if the furniture is dismantled and the cartons are packed full. A larger house with a lot of furniture usually needs 200 square feet or a 40 ft container.

How much does 144 square feet of storage cost?

At PKR 200 to 250 per square foot per month, it comes to PKR 28,800 to 36,000. Our nearest standard unit, the 10 x 15, is PKR 30,000 to 37,500 a month.

How high can things be stacked?

We plan on about 7 feet. Heavy boxes go at the bottom, and nothing heavy goes above head height.

What is the minimum storage period?

One month, then month by month. If you take things out later, you can ask to move to a smaller unit.

Planning your own storage room

The Bahria Town job shows that a 12x12 storage room works best when the packing comes first. Cartons were the same size and full, appliances stood upright, and the furniture was wrapped before it moved. Do the same and your space goes further.

Not sure what fits? Add your furniture to the storage calculator, or read about storage in Lahore. You can also get a price with a list or a few photos on WhatsApp. We'll come back with the unit size and the monthly rent.